By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
A lot has been said about the new format of the 7DAYS EuroCup which has a long regular season and then knock-out elimination phases.
That’s the perfect setup for upsets, as was proven last year by Frutti Extra Bursaspor, which had an 8-10 regular season record yet managed to upset teams all the way to the EuroCup Final.
So which are the teams this season that so far do not have stellar records, but could still make an admirable run? Eurohoops picked four prime candidates for this role of sleeper.
Prometey Slobozhanske (5-4, Group A)
Τhis is an easy pick. Prometey are newcomers in the competition but have veterans like DJ Kennedy, DJ Stephens, Ondrej Balvin, Dustin Hogue, Gian Clavell, and Oleksandr Lypovyy on the roster. Don’t forget also talented Issuf Sanon and head coach Ronen Ginzburg.
The fact that due to the ongoing war in Ukraine they were forced to relocate to Riga, Latvia, can only make them more resilient in difficult situations. We have seen in the past how that works: Partizan went all the way to the EuroLeague trophy in 1992 after relocating to Spain due to the war in Yugoslavia.
Plus Prometey has one of the best scoring averages in the competition so far, and having the ability to score in the modern game can only help you produce results that nobody expects.
London Lions (4-5, Group B)
They are among the biggest bets not only for the EuroCup but for European basketball in general. Simply put, the sport needs the UK market and the Lions are delivering, attracting a huge crowd in the recent game against Paris and also a roster with really well-known faces in the sport.
It’s a loaded team that includes Greek-American Kostas Koufos, Sam Dekker, Tomislav Zubcic, Vojtech Hruban, Jordan Taylor, and local basketball heroes Luke Nelson and Ovie Soko.
Considering the fact that they are a very new team still looking for chemistry, the unit of coach Ryan Schmidt has a lot of room for improvement and, in theory, time works in their favor. That’s why, when the postseason starts, they will not be an easy opponent for anyone.
Promitheas Patras (5-4, Group B)
Promitheas has been a mixed bag during the last few EuroCup seasons, having its share of ups and downs in the competition.
They have already had a coaching change this season with Giannis Christopoulos taking over from Makis Giatras, who stepped down in order to attend to personal matters. Christopoulos is not a well-known name to the average basketball fan, but he is a long-time coach who had some admirable stints as an assistant, served as the interim head coach of FC Bayern Munich back in 2012, and was the head coach of the Beijing Ducks.
So he knows his job and, with a loaded roster with good local talent, he has some pretty unique weapons at the EuroCup level in Nemanja Dangubic, Arnoldas Kulboka, and first and foremost, Joe Young, the EuroCup’s top scorer. Young is simply too talented, and having him gives you hope against anyone in the competition.
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2-7, Group A)
Cedevita is the definition of a sleeper in every possible sense. They may sit last in the Group A standings with just two wins, but on paper that’s an anomaly.
Their roster alone should make them title contenders. They have former Mavs sensation Yogi Ferrell; Josh Adams, who has played for Efes and Virtus Bologna, among others; Edo Muric and Zoran Dragic, who were Luka Doncic’s teammates on the Slovenian national team; plus Alen Omic, the EuroCup’s all-time top rebounder.
Yes, they have not played up to their potential so far, or EuroCup’s level is higher than it’s generally given credit for. However, the point is that they have the tools to do much, much better. And if Young is an asset for Promitheas, then what if Ferrell can replicate the success he had in the NBA not so long ago at the right time for the EuroCup post-season?